


New Friends

by OpheliaLMX



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Finding Yeza, Gen, Non-canon compliant as of e57, Nott the Brave - Freeform, Speculation, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 07:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18219848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpheliaLMX/pseuds/OpheliaLMX
Summary: Finally, after weeks of travel and risking it all, the Mighty Nein arrives at Yeza's cell.A very long bench stretches along one of the walls of the cell, and upon it sits a halfling. His feet dangle, not reaching the ground, and he blinks blearily as he looks towards the doorway.“So hi!” says Jester. “We are the ones who have come to save youuu, I am Jester. Do you recognise my voice, Yeza?”





	New Friends

**Author's Note:**

> I have had this in my head for a looong time now, but talked myself out of writing it. Thank you in advance for reading and I hope you enjoy. =]
> 
> I am on tumblr also if you want to come visit, here:  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ophelialmx

They sweep open the door, bathing the dark cell in light. It is cleaner and larger than Caleb had imagined, but just as empty.

A very long bench stretches along one of the walls of the cell, and upon it sits a halfling. His feet dangle, not reaching the ground, and he blinks blearily as he looks towards the doorway. He blinks again as the two wall sconces in the cell burst into flame and further illuminate the room.

“So hi!” says Jester. “We are the ones who have come to save youuu, I am Jester. Do you recognise my voice, Yeza?”

Yeza pokes a stubby thumb under his glasses to rub one of his eyes.  
“Jester?” he repeats.

“That’s right!” says Jester happily. As the cell is quite large (possibly made for multiple prisoners?), she is able to go inside, Nott following directly behind and hiding in her shadow. Caleb steps in also to her left, as does Fjord to the right.

Yeza hops down off the bench, dropping the few inches to the ground. He looks up at Jester, bright and blue and bubbly. His eyes are still squinty.  
“So we are finally here!” Jester explains with enthusiasm. “Also, we made sure your son is safe in Alfield with Old Edith, so you don’t even have to worry about that!”

Yeza looks beyond dumbfounded, like he gave up on this making sense approximately two weeks-worth of captivity ago.

“And then, there’s your wiiife!” squeals Jester with a flourish, stepping to one side and slightly squishing into Fjord so she can reveal Nott. Jester waggles her fingers with flair.

Yeza looks confused, glances warily at Nott, but affixes back on Jester.  
“I’m really confused,” he confirms weakly. “Alfield? Are you from the Empire? How do you know about… Veth?”

Jester giggles, though she no longer sounds quite so confident.  
“Silly, this is-“

“Nott,” says Nott, in her gentlest voice. Fjord and Jester's eyes both snap to her. Her yellow eyes glisten, fixed upon the pale, slightly malnourished looking halfling with puffy dark hair and bold sideburns. “I’m Nott. I know Veth.”

Yeza looks doubtful. His expression is still one of gratitude and confusion, but his mouth quirks like he has tasted something unpleasant as his eyes scan her green face, her fangs.

“I… helped her, escape the tribe,” says Nott tenderly. “She talks about you a lot. Well – to me she does,” she adds a little guiltily, and her hands twitch like she wants to move forward and touch Yeza, but she can’t. “She – Veth – she says she thinks about you all the time.”

“You’re – a friend?” asks Yeza doubtfully. At this point, it’s not clear what part of the story he doubts – possibly all of it. He still hasn’t given much of an indication whether he believes Veth is actually alive.

Nott thinks about that question for a moment.  
“Yeah,” she says. “I’m a friend.”

“I don't understand. Why would you think she’s alive?” Yeza asks tiredly, looking around to the others uncomfortably and clearly wary about taking the word of a goblin. “She would have come back to Felderwin.”

“When she escaped – when we escaped – she wasn’t the same,” Nott says softly, almost indistinct. “She’s not herself… there are pieces missing.”

There is a long pause. Yeza looks doubtful, and his expression looking at Nott is one of discomfort. Distaste. It is painful to watch.  
“She is alive,” says Caleb finally. “She is a strong, strong woman. We are going to get her back.”

Something relaxes in Yeza, just a bit, as he hears Caleb’s voice and looks at him. Caleb is not a goblin. Unlike Jester, he looks and sounds like the Empire. For the first time, Yeza’s eyes fill with tears as he seems to take Caleb's words seriously. To entertain the prospect of Veth perhaps actually being alive. Caleb swallows uncomfortably and places a hand on Nott’s shoulder. She is trembling.

“Okay,” says Yeza finally. “Okay. I’m sorry… who are you?”

“We’re the Mighty Nein,” says Jester gently, her enthusiasm tempered. “We’re the best at fixing things. And Veth is – so great, you know.”

Nott swipes tears from one of her cheeks with her bandaged hand, and crosses her arms.

“We are going to get her back,” Caleb repeats with more certainty.

Yeza nods slowly.  
“Are you the leader?” he asks hopefully.

Nott hiccup-sobs, but doesn’t say anything.

“Ah – ja,” says Caleb. Yeza seems encouraged by this, and in response Nott’s trembling eases just a little. “But we are – very cooperative. We all decided we must come here, to find you, and we are going to get you to somewhere you can be comfortable. We all are going to try to sort all of this out.”

“Thank you,” says Yeza. He finally looks over the rest of them again. Steels himself and tentatively smiles at Nott. “ _Thank you._ ”

She gives a watery smile back.


End file.
